Books

Students at Stanford and McKinney elementary schools are being given “The Way to Go” and “My Favorite Book.” The illustrated volumes focus on moral values and are being given to students up to age 10 by local business leaders who are concerned about the children’s future. Printed in these books is a Parent Guide explaining the values covered in the book along with suggested topics for family discussions. Extra copies of “My Favorite Book” are given to the school along with access to an interactive website www.MyFavorite BookLand.

Nicholasville's Hazel Bell and Phillip Bell have each had books published recently. Hazel has published a book called “How Tommy Became a Man of God's Words” about homeless people and a couple caring enough to help get involved and get the people meals and back up on their feet. The book focuses on love and caring for people. After having “Ken the Farmer and His Friend Herbie the Talking Goat” published in March, Phillip has had three more books published: “How Tina the Bear Raised Her Flower Garden,” “Kurt the Dog and His Friend Lisa the Cat” and “Herbie the Boy and His Friend Duckie the Duck.” The books are available at PublishAmerica.com and Amazon.com.

The banning and suppression of books has been going on for several hundred years. Of course, prior to the invention of the Gutenburg press in the middle of the 15th century, books were relatively rare and reading was limited to royalty, the upper classes and the clergy. When books became more readily available and less expensive, more and more common folk were introduced to reading. And from that time on, certain segments of society have seen fit to condemn, ban and burn books when they felt that their peers should not be exposed to the ideas expressed in them.

Feeling haunted? Preparing for Zombie Armageddon? Anxious about UFOs over Cincinnati? Sure, we all are. It's the middle of October, when all the world says “Boo!” If you're gearing up for the Screamin' Season, come to the Clark County Public Library and check out some (to mimic Lovecraft) eldritch tomes of paranormal lore. Books like “Zombie Cupcakes,” by Zilly Rosen. Hostess never dreamed of cupcakes like these. “Zombie Cupcakes “will show you how to create scary graveyard landscapes on top of (what else)

Terri Schlichenmeyer Drivel, dreck, and what the heck. That kind of sums up the books that were released in 2012. There were some good things, some downright awful things, and some things that, well, they weren't bad but they weren't the best books you've ever read, either. And then there were the gems. I read just over 270 books this year, and (fortunate me!) it was hard to decide on just five picks in the three categories below. But here they are, in no certain order, my personal Best Of from 2012.

Clark County Commissioner JoEllen Reed sifted through the thousands of books donated to Winchester's Rock Ministries through the Christian Appalachian Project Tuesday afternoon. Reed, who serves on Bluegrass Community and Technical College's Winchester-Clark County Campus Advisory Council, is helping get the books placed in different community groups. She said Tuesday that BCTC had taken thousands of books, particularly beneficial because the school doesn't have its own library. Robert Gayhart, who runs Rock Ministries with Walter Hunt of Winchester, transferred books from Tierney Storage on Rockwell Road into a vehicle to be distributed in the community.

Dear Editor, After reading the American Library Association list of banned books published in the AARP newsletter, I find it totally unacceptable that it should choose these books to be banned. The reasons these books were banned came under a number of headings, including “Too Political,” “Too Much Sex,” “Irreligious” and “Socially Offensive.” Granted, probably some of these should not be read by children, but as an adult I find it insulting that the ALA can choose for me what books I can borrow and read from the library.

HARRODSBURG - Bobbi Rightmyer's 2013 promises to be exciting: She has several more books coming out, among them her newest book of poetry, “Some Scars Don't Heal.” “It contains poems detailing a point in my life when I was getting divorced and had two small children to care for,” Rightmyer said of the volume of poetry. “My life felt out of control and these poems help identify this message. Although never mentioned by name, most of these poems were written about people from my past life, for lack of a better word.

The Jessamine County Public Library is one of the first libraries in the state to check out e-readers to its patrons, kicking off the program with an event Monday. The library purchased 25 Nook devices from Barnes and Noble, 20 Simple Readers and five Nook Colors. Each device includes preloaded with books from different genres like fiction bestsellers, cookbooks and popular nonfiction, with the color Nooks focused on children's books. “It's a new technology, and it's something that we want the residents of the county to have access to and give it a chance to try it before they buy it, or if they can't purchase their own device, they can still enjoy books in that way,” said adult-services librarian Sara King.

The following people were booked into the Jessamine County Detention Center on June 12, 2013, according to jail records: • Ryan J. Napier, 20, charged with instructional permit violations, failure to maintain required insurance, and fourth-degree assault • Casey L. Thornberry, 32, charged with contempt of court/libel/slander/resistance to order • Roger D. Bowlin, 24, charged with leaving the scene of an accident, operating on...

The other day, while playing outside, you spent 10 minutes watching ants. Ants are very cool: they run all over, really fast, like they don't know where they're going. Some of them even carry things that seem heavy - if you're an ant, that is. You like watching bugs, beetles, and butterflies, though you know that they make some people squirm and scream. But in the new book “The Beatles Were Fab (and They were Funny)” by Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer, illustrated by Stacy Innerst, you'll read about Beatles that made people dance.